Purifier and refiner for petroleum product

ABSTRACT

The present invention is an apparatus that separates fuel from other foreign constituents, such as water and organic and inorganic solids and then presents the purified fuel to a catalyst to enhance the fuels performance qualities. Although the present invention pertains to any fuel filter, water/fuel separator and filter less fuel purifier in combination with a catalyst, a preferred embodiment is described herein which uses no moving parts to purify the fuel and house the refining process elements. In the present invention a fuel and all its non fuel constituents enters a container through an input port at one end of a longitudinal chamber which is contained within an essentially closed volume. The chamber forces the fuel downward forcing heavier constituents to settle to the bottom of the container and lighter fuel to rise. On the path to the output of the container the fuel is made to contact a catalyst.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to purifying fuel by separating thefuel from water and other contaminants and further refining the purifiedfuel by the introduction of a catalyst.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Reliable internal combustion engines and power generationperformance require fuels free from contaminants such as water andorganic and inorganic solids. For example, a diesel fuel that containswater can freeze fuel lines when ambient temperatures drop below 32degrees Fahrenheit. Fuel that contains water also reduces the efficiencyof engine performance since at least some energy is dissipated in theprocess of heating the water and not in combustion. In many instanceswater particulate contribute to engine failure, specifically in enginesthat utilize dispensing nozzles and injectors to atomize fuel for thecombustion chambers. Solid particulate in fuel also decreases theperformance and increases the wear due to frictional forces on theinternal engine parts. The machinery that most benefits from devicesthat can remove water and other constituents for the fuel are gasolineand diesel driven engines, generators and fuel oil burners. Dieseldriven boats, automobiles and trucks, stationary generators and fuel oilburners all burn distillate fuel oils and can benefit most from devicesthat can remove foreign constituents. Many devices exist for separatingfuel from foreign constituents, however, most of these are expensive andrely on filter media and other moving components. For example, marinepower vessel applications use centrifugal separators for improving thequality of fuel oils. A centrifuge is a machine that subjects fuel andits foreign constituents to a centrifugal force. A continuous centrifugepasses fuel and its foreign constituents in a steady stream through partof the centrifuge apparatus where it is subjected to centrifugal forcesand continuously discharges separated components. With little differencein principles of operation these machines perform the function ofclarifying fuel, separating fuel constituents and purifying fuel so asto remove water, organic matter and solids from the fuel.

[0003] Centrifuges having moving parts are expensive to build andrequire costly maintenance, yet the larger marine vessels require theless costly low grade fuel to be cleansed to a degree that justifies theexpense. For less demanding applications there are several products thatoffer some level of separation based on conventional filtration made offine mesh or paper. These are lower cost apparatuses that requirefrequent filter changes. Although this invention is drawn to anycentrifuge, another solution, which is addressed hereinbelow, does notcontain any moving parts or removable filters, but relies on the forcesproduced by external fuel pumps in combination with various plates,baffles, weirs and ports as fuel passes through the fuel system.

[0004] The advantages of having purified the fuel are to reduce wear onmoving parts, reduce carbon deposits, improve exhaust emissions andincrease combustion efficiency and performance. The purification of thefuel can be especially beneficial, if the fuel is to be brought intocontact with a catalyst, since the contaminates tend to eventually coatthe catalysts and cause them to become ineffective.

[0005] Petroleum is a complex liquid solution of gases, liquids andsolids comprised of long molecular hydrocarbon chains. The size of themolecules determine the grade of the fuel which ranges from: gas, havingbetween one and five carbon atoms per molecule, to the usual fuel oils,having between five and 18 carbon atoms per molecule to paraffins andpitch or asphalt which number as many as 20 or more carbon atoms permolecule. In fact, the crude oil remaining after the volatilehydrocarbons have been removed are mainly comprised of paraffins andasphalt. These heavier components are generally undesirable in a mixturedesigned for combustion engines.

[0006] Precombustion treatment catalysts have been show to break downthe heavier undesirable long chain hydrocarbon chains into smallerchains with greater combustion qualities. These may take the form ofliquid or solid formed catalysts which interact with the fuel. At leastone class of catalysts referred to as oxidation catalysts can provideimproved combustibility reactions at ambient temperatures.

[0007] Traditional oxidation catalysts are of two general types: noblemetals and non-precious metals. some combinations of the two generaltypes also have been found to exhibit low temperature catalyticactivity. Commercially available catalysts manufactured from rhenium andmanganese, heterogeneous metal alloys comprised of tin, antimony, leadand mercury, and others containing soluble platinum group metalcompounds have shown to improve the performance of the combustionengine.

[0008] When carbon-containing fuels, such as gasoline and diesel fueloil are burned in the presence of air, nearly all the carbon combineswith oxygen to form carbon dioxide, CO₂, but amounts of CO carbonmonoxide form, as well, depending on the air available. Carbon monoxidesare not desirable in the combustion process. In platinized tin-oxidecatalysts the material catalyzes as a result of a reaction of the carbonmonoxide CO and the dioxide molecule O₂. If the tin surface is exposedto a mixture of CO and O₂, it quickly becomes covered by CO, since COmolecules can absorb on vacant surface sites. The presence of tin-oxidealters this affect since only the O₂ molecule is absorbed, whereas theCO does not. Therefore it is critical that the fuel be as free fromforeign constituents such as large amounts of water, carbons, sediment,oxides and non combustion organic solids as possible. It stands toreason that catalyst type treatments are more efficient when thereaction is effectuated is free from all but trace amounts of water(which incidently are useful in some catalytic reactions) and otherimpurities. By combining the features of a fuel purifier with such acatalyst the benefits to a combustion engine are greatly enhanced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention is an apparatus and a method that purifiesfuel by filtering it from foreign constituents and thereafter passingthe fuel through a refining process that improves its combustibleefficiency.

[0010] The principle of operation of the embodiment described hereinrelies on the fact that a centrifugal force is produced by any movingmass that is compelled to depart from a rectilinear path it may befollowing. Therefore any liquid substance channeled into a rotary motionwill assume an angular acceleration and corresponding angular momentum.When the substance impinges on a barrier it will change its direction toconserve its momentum under well known laws of physics. Substances andparticles that are relatively heavy compared to other such substancesand particles will deflect into different directions upon encounteringthe barrier. These centrifugal forces can be created through themotorized spinning of a channel through which the fuel enters or can begenerated by virtue of the manner in which the fuel is drawn throughvarious pipes and nozzles under the pressure of a pump.

[0011] The invention herein disclosed utilizes as one element anapparatus that separates free water and contaminants from fuel. Heavycontaminates will separate from the fuel based on altering the path ofthe fluid while under going changes in acceleration, velocity, pressureand position. For example, centrifugal forces aid in the separation ofthe foreign constituents from the fuel since heavier particles are castin one direction and lighter constituents in another.

[0012] In the present invention the fuel is drawn through the fuelsystem and the filtering element under pressure provided by a pump. Inone embodiment, the fuel and all its non fuel constituents under theforce of a pump enters an orifice at one end of a longitudinal chamberwhich is contained within a large essentially closed volume, having aninput port and one or more ports to connect the output of purified fuelor ports to remove the collected water and impurities. The longitudinalchamber causes the fuel to enter the chamber at one orientation and exitin an orthogonal direction to force the fuel to assume a curvilineartrajectory as it progresses through the chamber towards a distal endwhere it exits through an orifice constriction or nozzle. The narrowingof the cross section of the chamber from its proximal end to its distalend results in a increase in the velocity of the fuel through thelongitudinal chamber. Upon exiting a nozzle, the fluid discharges into arelatively large separating chamber within a cylindrical housing. Thenozzle focuses fuel so that it impinges or is forced into a generallyconcave inner surface of the cylindrical separating chamber whereuponthe fluid assumes a generally circular motion.

[0013] The fuel which has a lower specific gravity than either water orsolid constituents such as sand and sediment flows away from the concavebarrier and is swept into the current of the fuel flow as it makes itway under pressure to an output port where it will be forced to contacta catalyst before it is fed to other potential filters and eventually toone or more fuel tanks or combustion engines or boilers.

[0014] The heavier specific gravity components such as free water andsediment do not have the kinetic energy to remain in the current streamand tend toward a sump, the lowest gravitational potential, at thebottom of the large container.

[0015] In the present invention the degree of separation or filtrationcan be increased by employing filter media, rotating separationsurfaces, separating chambers, settling chambers or multiple stages ofthe aforementioned process. Once the separation occurs the remainingfluid is forced into contact with a catalyst. Only lighter constituents,such as fuel remain in the current stream flowing toward the outputport.

[0016] The insertion of a metal alloy catalyst which the fuel is made tocontact, such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,359 will improvethe combustibility of the purified fuel. In one theory as to how thecatalyst acts to refine fuel, it is postulated that the type catalystsutilized in the preferred embodiment cleave high molecular weightorganic molecules to form lower molecular weight molecules which aresusceptible to greater combustion efficiencies. The smaller moleculesessentially accelerate the combustion process producing less unburnedcarbon monoxide and hydrocarbons and increase fuel efficiency. Othermetal alloy catalysts have other theories associated with theircatalytic mechanisms. In the extant theories it is suggested thatsurface contact by the fuel is an important consideration. The greaterthe contact the greater the efficiency of the catalyst. Fuel free fromcontaminants provides a greater opportunity for fuel to contact thecatalyst surface.

[0017] A catalyst suited for these purposes may be formed by casting,extruding, cutting or shaping to have the shape of a mesh, plate, ballor other two or three dimensional shape. The catalyst may be used toform the materials such as plates and container material. As such thecatalyst may also be embedded in the surface of either metals, plasticsor engineered resins that are used in manufacturing the purifiercomponent of the apparatus. Essentially, the catalyst may be formed fromplastics or metals subjected to one or more processes know by thoseskilled in the art of metal or plastic processing to impregnate, alloy,embed, laminate or plate the catalyst onto the internal surfaces of theapparatus. The object of the materials and its geometric shape is toallow the greatest number of hydrocarbon molecules to contact thecatalyst on its path to the tank, engine, or boiler. In the presentinvention a generally pancake-like shape is encapsulated between twomonel mesh plates which are inserted into the path of the purified fuel.

[0018] The insertion of the catalyst can be effectuated anywhere in afuel purifier. For example, the internal chambers of the separator canbe formed from the catalyst material. It can be formed into or becomepart of the internal surface or the purifier housing itself. It may alsobe utilized to coat the various surfaces of the settling chambers ordiverters. In the present embodiment, after the separation of water andother impurities take effect, the catalyst, by way of example, is placedin the area of the output of the second diverter chamber where the fuelhas been for a second time diverted and channeled in a generallydownward position relative to the point the fluid first rose after afirst separation.

[0019] The invention herein disclosed addresses both an apparatus andmethod that separates relatively immiscible liquids and solids, such asfuels and heavy petroleum products which have a specific gravity of lessthan one (1), from water and other constituents and particulate mattergenerally having a specific gravity equal to or greater than one (1).The purified fuel thereafter contacts the surface of one or morecatalyst elements which produces an electrochemical reaction by virtueof the composition and properties of the metal alloy catalyst.

[0020] In summary, the invention comprises a fuel purifier having aninput port and an output port and a catalyst whereby lighterconstituents remain in the current stream contact the catalyst beforethe fluid flows through the output port. The catalyst can exist as aseparate pellet-like material form or can be made from one of a group ofprocesses utilizing metal or plastic impregnation, alloying, embedding,laminatation or plating of the catalyst material onto one or moresurfaces of the separator.

[0021] Essentially the invention comprises a container an apparatuscomprising a container having an input port in fluid communication withan output port, a means for creating forces on a stream of fluid suchthe heavier constituents separate from lighter constituents whichcontact a catalyst before discharging through the output port.

[0022] The method disclosed herein is comprised of purifying fuel byseparating fuel from its contaminants, and thereafter catalyzing thefuel.

[0023] An object of the present invention is to separate fuel and waterbefore subjecting the fuel to a catalyst.

[0024] Another object of the present invention is to reduce the cost ofconventional fuel purifiers and catalyst products when products andutilized as separate products in-line or in series.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The novel features of the present invention are set forth withparticularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however,both as to its organization and method of operation, together withfurther objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood byreference to the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

[0026]FIG. 1 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0027]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the catalyst encapsulated betweentwo plates.

[0028]FIG. 3 is diagram of a centrifuge machine illustrating theseparating bowl.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] In FIG. 1 is shown an apparatus 1 of the present invention wherea housing 8 is illustrated as a generally cylindrical shaped containerwith convex ends 9 and 10, although the shape of the ends is notcritical. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, there is an inputport 2 and an output port 40 which is mounted in a vertical plane.Attached to the input port is a longitudinal chamber 3 having a proximalend 12 and a distal end 11, which extends vertically from the input port2 to a point lower than the input port 2. The location of the lowerdistal end 11 relative to the proximal end 12 is not critical, howeverit should be sufficient low to insure the necessary distance that thefluid must travel to attain a forward velocity and impart an angularmomentum sufficient to force a separation of the heaviest constituentsfrom the lightest constituents in the fluid.

[0030] As the fuel flows through the fuel system under pressure of afuel pump (not shown) it enters input port 2 and progresses downwardthrough longitudinal chamber 3, discharging through the longitudinalchamber 3 output orifice 14 where generally heavier than fuelconstituents settle into a settling chamber 18. The fuel beingdischarged impinges a concave barrier 13, in this case the concave innerwall of housing 8, which contact serves to force the fluid into acircular motion whereby, heavier constituents of the fuel are urged inone angular direction and lighter constituents in yet another angulardirection. The heavier constituents, those with specific gravities 1 orgreater come to rest in the settling chamber 18 and the lighterconstituents are forced by the current created by the fuel pump throughthe volume 25 and into an opening 5 into a chamber 3 a formed from twoplates, 4 and 4 c running axially through the central portion of thehousing 8 and diametrically across housing 8. The fluid enters atorifice 5 and exits at orifice 11 a, discharging into an output chamber26.

[0031] The fuel emerging from the longitudinal chamber 3, dischargingthrough output orifice 11 a contacts a pellet-like metal alloy catalyst30 which sits at the lower end of chamber 26. FIG. 1, of the preferredembodiment shows the catalyst 30 resting on a perforated plate 32 aboveplate 12. In a second embodiment (not shown) the catalyst 30 rests onplate 12. Perforated plates 34, 35 and 36 serve as a cover and base tocontain additional catalysts 30. As the fuel contacts the base of themetal plate 32 it penetrates the perforated sections 38 and contacts thecatalyst 30. The fluid sweeps or flows around the catalyst 30 makingsurface contact with the other like catalyst 30 pellets and flows intothe output chamber 26.

[0032] It is believed that the perforated plates as represented by plate32 through 36 can improve the operation of the catalyst. Therefore, ametal that is empirically determined to improve the performance of thecatalyst may be chosen. In the present embodiment monel has beenutilized as the chosen metal. This disclosure is intended to cover anyplates separating the catalysts.

[0033] The quantity of catalyst 30 pellets required has been empiricallyestablished and is determined on the basis of fuel flow and the degreeof refinement desired. Typically the number of pellet catalysts 30 wouldnumber from 6 to 600 in applications for treating fuel supplied tostorage tanks, internal combustion engines, and boilers.

[0034] A ceiling 4 a separates the chamber 18 from the output chamber26. A floor 4 b also separates the output chamber 26 from chamber 18,except for an optional fluid communication through a small weep hole oropening 12 to allow water and heavier constituents collected at theoutput orifice 11 a to flow into the chamber 18.

[0035] In an alternate embodiment the catalyst 30 may be impregnated,alloyed, embedded, laminated or plated onto one or more internalsurfaces of the apparatus. The plate 4, plate 4 a plate 4 b plate 4 cmay have the catalyst 30 impregnated, alloyed, embedded, laminated orplated onto one or more of each of its two surfaces. Likewise thecatalyst 30 may be impregnated, alloyed, embedded, laminated or platedonto the inner surface of the housing 8. In each of these embodimentsthe objects of the invention would be fulfilled.

[0036] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that additionalstages of purification such as provided by chamber 3 a, or additionalchambers 26 containing catalysts 30 can be utilized to improve thedegree of purification and refining.

[0037]FIG. 3 illustrates the pertinent cross section of a centrifuge 50,yet another embodiment of the present invention comprising a container44 having an input port 46 in fluid communication with an output port48, a separating chamber 42, a means for creating forces 43 on a streamof fluid 62 such that the heavier constituents 64 separate from thelighter constituents 66 which contact a catalyst 30 before dischargingthrough the output port 48. The separating bowl 58 is made to spin at ahigh rotational velocity which imparts a centrifugal force on the liquid62 causing heavier components 64 to separate into one stream and thelighter components 66 to separate into a second stream. The centrifuge50 contains a catalyst 30 interposed between the output side of adistribution aperture 52 and the discharge end 54 and 56 of a catalyzingchamber 70. It will be apparent that the catalyst can be composed ofpellet-like metal alloys separated by monel perforated plate 68 or othersutiable material or made in a form capable of being impregnated,alloyed, embedded, laminated or plated onto the separating bowl 58surfaces or the internal surfaces of the neutral zone 60 which will alsoprovide the benefits of catalyzing the fuel.

[0038] While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed herein, it will be understood that such embodiments areprovided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, andsubstitutions will occur to those skilled in the art without departingfrom the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that theappended claims cover all such variations as fall within the spirit andscope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising a container having aninput port in fluid communication with an output port, a means forcreating forces on a stream of fluid such the heavier constituentsseparate from lighter constituents which contact a catalyst beforedischarging through the output port.
 2. The apparatus as in claim 1including one or more separating chambers or more chambers wherebylighter constituents remain in the stream contacting the catalyst. 3.The apparatus as in claim 1 including one or more surfaces having thequality of the catalysts.
 4. An apparatus comprising a cylindricalcontainer having an input port and an output port; a first diverterchamber attached to the input through which fluid containing differingconstituents is discharged from the distal end of said diverter chamberinto a settling chamber where the fluid is forced to impinge a concavesurface, causing lighter constituents to remain in the current streamflowing toward the output port and heavier constituents to settle in thesettle chamber and come to rest in a settling chamber of the containerand a catalyst, whereby the lighter constituents remaining in thecurrent stream contact the catalyst before the flowing through theoutput port.
 5. The apparatus as in claim 4 wherein the settling chamberdischarges into a second diverter chamber and channeled in a generallydownward position relative to the point the fluid rose after a firstseparation and contacts the catalyst before the fluid flows through theoutput port.
 6. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the catalyst is madefrom one of a group of processes utilizing metal or plasticimpregnation, alloying, embedding, laminatation or plating of thecatalyst material onto the internal surfaces of the apparatus.
 7. Theapparatus as in claim 3 wherein the plates separating the catalysts ismade from a group of metals having the qualities of substitutional solidsolutions such as represented by the metal monel.
 8. The methoddisclosed herein is comprised of separating fuel from its contaminants,and thereafter catalyzing the fuel.
 9. The method as in claim 8 whereinseparating fuel from its contaminants includes the steps of creatingforces on a fluid, such that when the fluid is forced into a circularmotion, heavier constituents settle into a sump and lighter constituentsremain in the current stream.
 10. The method as in claim 8 whereincatalyzing said fluid includes the step of contacting a catalyst andthereafter discharging through an output port.